You might say his ‘Eddie Haskell‘ phase…
Psychology Today–We’ve all known them. Those fellow employees who suck up to authority figures when they are present, but bully subordinates and peers when the boss is not looking.
Many years ago, I labeled this “the Eddie Haskell Effect,” based on the character Eddie Haskell, played expertly by Ken Osmond who recently passed, from the old Leave it to Beaver TV show. Eddie Haskell ingratiated himself to the parents but tormented and bullied the Beaver when the parents weren’t around.
The Eddie Haskell effect can be insidious in a workplace because these two-faced bullies can mistreat subordinates but never be caught. When the boss is looking, they are always on their best behavior.